Gauge, page 10
Then her phone had rung, an alarm waking him to reality.
She was involved with someone. Jedrek. Gauge wanted to find this guy and beat the shit out of him for being with her, and that was completely and totally insane. It was almost as crazy as him buying boxes of macaroni just to feel close to her.
He had no right to screw up her life now. He’d broken her heart, and she’d recently gone through an ugly divorce. No matter how much Gauge wanted her, Viola deserved whatever happiness Jedrek gave her.
“Good morning,” McMillian said once his face popped up on the screen. “Thanks for gathering together on such short notice.”
“You bet,” Bear said.
When his team leader had called an hour ago about the conference call, Gauge had insisted on coming into the garage. He needed to get out of his cramped house, and the fact that Viola hadn’t argued meant she was probably feeling stifled, too.
“I’ve got Carson with me for this meeting. We’re still vetting possible teammates. First things first, the judge on Luciano Grasso’s case has so far checked out, but there’s been a development in that family. Yesterday afternoon, the home of Felice Romano burned down.”
Someone breathed a curse.
“Is he dead?” Hunter asked.
“Too early to say. It was only cool enough to get a team in a few hours ago. Charred remains have been found, and by the looks of it, we’re dealing with a lot of bodies. Could take weeks to get positive IDs.”
“Any preliminary thoughts?” Brody asked.
“Oh, it was definitely intentional. ATF fire investigator said an accelerant was used.”
“Not surprising someone took out a mafia boss,” Roc said with a shrug. “Sure as hell wouldn’t be the first time.”
Rick glared at the former cartel member, but apparently thought better of commenting on Roc’s expertise in the area. Rick rubbed a hand over his face and said, “Are you guys behind this?”
What the fuck?
Everyone in the room sat up straighter, but no one immediately denied the accusation that’d been poorly hidden in the question. Hell, Gauge had no idea if the guys had retaliated or not. He’d been out of commission for the past week. Of course, everyone had been at his house yesterday until five o’clock. Not that that really mattered. Someone could’ve infiltrated in the wee hours of Sunday morning and planted a timed device. Being together in another state when the place went up in flames would only solidify their alibis. A couple of the guys had been exhausted when Bear had dismissed the group yesterday afternoon. Gauge had figured everyone was tired from working, but it was possible they’d been exhausted from working double-time plotting a retaliation arson.
Rick blew out a breath. “Look, if you are, I need to do damage control. That’s all I’m trying to say.”
“Wasn’t us,” Bear said slowly. “But you find out who did it, we’ll gladly pat ’em on the back.”
“Buy them a round of beer,” Blade said.
“Told you, boss,” Carson said from the side before leaning over into the camera, grinning.
Rick nudged him back. “Since it wasn’t you guys, I’m going to let the ATF run the investigation while they keep me abreast of their findings. I didn’t want to give them free rein until I was sure. Since I’m still in the early stages of spearheading the new organized crime task force, I got too much other shit on my plate, but they’ll be required to provide me updates.”
“Felice Romano was already on death’s door. Why take him out now?” Shelby asked.
“Maybe someone didn’t like his choice of successors,” Anna said.
“We don’t know if he was home,” Rick said. “We’re not going to assume anything.”
“He was bedridden,” Brody said, frowning. “The man wasn’t going to make a run for it.”
“Right. So, if he wasn’t home, he knew about it,” Viola said and started typing on her keyboard.
Thinking along the same lines, Gauge added, “Or taken.”
Viola’s gaze shot to his. “I can see that. Either someone not happy with the changing of the guard or a rival family taking advantage of the lame-duck leadership.”
“What if it didn’t have anything to do with any mafia war?” Axle asked. “It could be a diversion.”
“From what?” Hunter asked.
“Maybe to make us look one way while shit goes down somewhere else,” Roc said with a nod. Then his gaze hardened. “You got a bead on Luc?”
“He’s still in Texas,” Rick said. “Police questioned him this morning. Half a dozen men confirmed his alibi. Of course, he’s extremely concerned about his grandfather.” Gauge didn’t miss the sarcasm in that last sentence.
“Well, something’s going down,” Anna said.
“Yep, which is why I wanted to make sure the Bang Shift wasn’t involved. We don’t know if this is an internal beef or an external hit, but either way, you gotta stay alert. I don’t want my guys caught off guard.”
“We’re not your guys,” Bear said. “Just let us know if you get word someone’s coming for us, and we’ll take care of it.”
Rick dismissed that comment with a wave. “Lane, I need a word. Call me once you disburse.”
“You can have the room,” Bear said.
Viola stayed seated while the rest of the team filed out. Gauge forced himself not to look at her as he left the conference room and headed into the bays.
“How’re you holding up?” Anna asked.
“Better,” he said after taking a deep breath. It still hurt to expand his chest like that, but he already felt ten times better than he had yesterday.
“You feeling up to helping me chase some money?” Shelby asked, walking over to them. “I’m gonna dig into Francesco Romano’s accounts. Since he’s the underboss, he had the most the lose if Felice was killed.”
“Or the most to gain,” Anna added.
“Assuming Francesco wasn’t killed, too,” Gauge said with a nod. “Let’s get to it.”
He walked over to his bay. The garage looked weird without any vehicles in it. With any luck, he’d be back to one hundred percent when they opened again.
He spent the next couple of hours scouring through legitimate checking and savings accounts, shell accounts, and offshore tax havens. Francesco was sloppy. Large sums of money moving everywhere. That was both a good thing and a bad thing, though. If he was truly this careless, Gauge and Shelby would be able to find clues, but there was also a chance all this activity was another diversion.
By the time Viola came out of the conference room, he’d flagged several transactions that needed deeper analysis. Her gaze immediately locked onto him, and he wondered if she was going to suggest they go back to the house right then. Instead, she turned from him, sat by Bear, and opened her laptop. The group worked the next few hours on their individual tasks. Although Gauge did his best to stay focused, he’d be lying to himself if said he didn’t admit looking at Viola every ten minutes. Several times, he caught Shelby rolling her eyes when he glanced her way before looking at his computer again.
Heather ordered food from the diner, so everyone continued to work while they ate deliciously greasy burgers and fresh-cut fries. While Gauge and Shelby tackled the financial accounts of the upper Romanos, Anna helped Blade and Hunter with Grasso family accounts. Bear helped Viola, Roc, and Axle view traffic cams and area surveillance footage both around the Mayflower area on the days leading up to and after Gauge was shot, and in Texas, looking for links to the fire.
Brody tried to help, but he was too busy calling his stepson, Scott, every fifteen minutes to check on Xan as his feet beat the same path he’d paced all morning. The man clearly loved his woman and unborn child. Gauge was surprised the guy was even at the shop.
By early afternoon, Gauge’s over-the-counter pain medication was wearing off, so he took a couple more. Besides the pain, he was dog-tired.
Brody was on the phone again, but by the sound of his gentle voice, he was talking to Xan and not Scott. Viola walked over to him and said something. The other man covered the phone as he responded to her. Then she headed straight for Gauge.
“Let’s go to your place.”
Oh, what he would’ve given to hear those words from her in another life. However, that time for them was long gone. Rather than saying something he’d regret, he said, “I still have a few more leads to pick apart.” He just needed to get his second wind.
“We can work later. Roxie’s bringing Xan over in a bit to replace your bandages. You need a break, and she’s going stir crazy bingeing Netflix.”
Brody walked by and patted him on the shoulder, a silent acknowledgment.
“I’ll keep checking these accounts and message if I need to you hack something else,” Shelby said.
Gauge looked over at Bear, but the man waved him away. Gauge was too tired to argue. He’d been here almost all day, which was the most he’d been active since getting shot.
“Yeah, okay.” He got up and followed Viola to the car.
They drove to his house, chatting about what they’d found—a whole lot of nothing. That didn’t necessarily mean anything, though. By definition, organized crime was usually well thought out.
When he got inside, he practically collapsed onto the couch. He heard Viola rummaging around but didn’t open his eyes to watch. A few minutes later, he felt the couch shift.
“Here,” she murmured.
He cracked open an eye and saw the iced tea she held out for him.
“Thanks.” He took it and downed half of the glass before setting it on the side table. “I feel drained.”
“You should take a nap. You’ve been working nonstop the last three days.”
He half-smiled. “I don’t think I can stand.”
She eased closer, and his brow furrowed slightly in question.
“I can help you get to bed if that’s what you want.”
Several seconds passed as he watched her. There was too much he could say that would completely change the meaning of her innocent offer. Too much opportunity to let truth flow from his mouth. “What about you?” he asked, instead of responding to her statement the hundred different ways he’d have preferred. “You have to be exhausted, too.”
He’d love nothing more than to crawl into bed and wrap his body around hers even if just to sleep. Not that he’d say that.
The sound she made could almost be a chuckle if it wasn’t strangled. “I’ll survive. I always do.” The way she said it broke a remnant of his heart.
“That’s because you’re incredibly strong,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
He watched her. The urge to confide in her, to apologize for what had happened between them stronger now than it had ever been. He was part of the reason she’d had to grow up way too fast, not that he took credit for any of her strength. She was resilient all on her own. Still, that acknowledgement didn’t stop him from wanting to confess what had really happened. He opened his mouth, wanting, needing to say something.
“I don’t always feel that way.”
Her words steered him from the need to bare his soul toward comforting her instead. “Nobody does. Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t ever do that, Vi.”
She swallowed, the gentle motion beckoning him to stroke the tender skin where her neck met her shoulder. Her smile was sad. “My dad used to tell me that. It’s been hard since he’s been gone.”
Reality was a cold, brutal thing. Gauge gritted his teeth to keep from saying what had been on the tip of his tongue just a moment ago. She loved her father. He’d always known that. It was why he’d never told her the truth, and this was the reminder he needed that he never could. Gauge had hurt her enough. No way would he taint the memory of the man she adored.
When he trusted his mouth not to betray his intentions, he said, “You have a lot of people who love you.”
“So do you,” she said quickly, softly, and damn, what he wouldn’t give to have her in that group.
“Vi…” He leaned closer to her, not sure what the hell he was doing.
The doorbell ringing jerked him out of his daze, and she bolted up, rushing to the door.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“How’s the patient?” Xan asked, waddling into the living room with both hands on her lower back.
“Feeling like I have no right to complain,” he said, looking at her. “You look like you’re about to pop.” He winced, realizing a second too late he probably shouldn’t say that to a pregnant woman.
“Pfft, she is about to pop,” Roxie said, rolling her eyes as she stepped around her best friend.
“If I don’t have this baby soon, I’m going to kick Brody’s ass for putting his mini Viking inside me,” Xan said as she sat beside Gauge.
Roxie dropped a bag next to Xan.
“Is there anything I need to get from the car?” Viola asked.
“Nope. This is it. Thanks.” Xan opened her bag and removed some rubber gloves and cleaning wipes. “Shirt’s gotta go.”
“Don’t mind me,” Roxie said with a wink.
Gauge chuckled before pulling it off.
Xan immediately got to work, tugging on the tape that was sticking to the smattering of hair on his chest. “Do you have any more of those cinnamon rolls? Brody hasn’t stopped talking about them.”
“What cinnamon rolls?” Roxie asked and licked her lips.
Gauge winced when a sensitive hair got stuck to the tape.
“No, but I have the stuff to make another batch.”
“Oh, can you show me how to make them?” Xan asked, looking at her.
Gauge had to bite his lip to keep from whimpering when she yanked the other tape.
“Sure, it’ll take several hours, though. You can’t rush perfection.”
“Girl, I ain’t got anything else to do. It’s bake or find some local witches to cast a spell on this baby.”
Viola smiled at her, and for a moment Gauge got lost in her glow. “I’ll start getting the stuff out.”
“I’ll help,” Roxie said, following her. “And by help, I mean raid the liquor cabinet.”
“Not fair,” Xan called out. Then she looked at Gauge. “Hope you don’t mind having extra company tonight. I’m so tired of staring at my own walls.”
He glanced in the direction of the kitchen as bowls and pans rattled. “Not at all.” He smiled at her. “More cinnamon rolls for us.”
She giggled, and the tension in Gauge’s shoulders eased. He loved Xan and Roxie, and their being here was a good distraction.
For him and for Viola.
She was already laughing at something Roxie said, the sound a balm to his battered soul.
Hopefully, he could use this time to get his emotions in check because he didn’t want to be the reason that any joy left Viola. She deserved every bit of it.
But as the hours slipped by, what she’d said before kept drifting through his mind. I’d rather not look back.
She’d stuck to that decree, which was more proof of how strong of a woman she was. He’d done a horrible job so far, but something else ate at him. If he truly let go of the circumstances of what had happened to them back at the Academy, what was stopping him from seeing what could happen between them now? Jedrek? Gauge didn’t get the feeling that things were serious with that man. If they weren’t exclusive, then there really was nothing holding Gauge back.
He could ask her just what her relationship was with the other man, and the more he thought about it, he liked the idea of knowing for sure. In fact, he decided he was definitely going to ask her. He had to find out what obstacles stood in their way.
One way or another, the two of them would be engaging in some serious conversions. If she wanted to leave the past behind them, he’d figure out a way to do it.
And enjoy every second of the present.
Chapter Twelve
Viola was going to have to go on a serious diet when she returned home after this assignment. She was never one to have to watch what she ate, but she knew downing a bunch of freshly-baked, decadent sweets would do some damage. After showing Roxie and Xan how she made her cinnamon rolls and the secret to how she kept them gooey—pouring warmed heavy whipping cream over the rolls before baking—they’d baked brownies and lemon bars last night. She’d taken most of what was left over to the garage today. Thankfully, those guys tore into the snacks, not even leaving any crumbs. Now, as she stood in the kitchen after having cleaned up dishes from dinner, she couldn’t stop eyeballing the few brownies she’d left on the counter.
Screw it. She got out two bowls, dropped a brownie in each and popped them into the microwave just to warm them up slightly. If she was going to be bad, she was taking Gauge down with her.
As she got the ice cream out, she couldn’t take her thoughts away from the man sitting in the living room. Sometime between the baking lesson last night and tacos at lunch, something had happened. She didn’t know what, but Gauge’s demeanor had changed. He didn’t seem to be as on edge around her. When he’d gone to bed last night, he’d taken his one pain pill without an argument, and when she’d gotten up this morning, he’d already been in the kitchen, brewing coffee. It’d smelled so good, she’d gone in there before getting into the shower, not caring her hair was all messy and her mismatched PJs had a hole in the shorts. Gauge had even had a cup ready for her.
When they were ready to break for lunch, he’d brought her a soda from the vending machine. Afterward, he’d gathered her trash. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he was taking care of her and not the other way around. By the time they’d returned to his house that evening, she realized it was probably his way of showing his appreciation for her helping him.
